Bank in Laguna Niguel and Laguna Bank in Laguna Beach--is getting closer to a final agreement. A tentative stock swap was negotiated in late August, but work on the purchase of Laguna by Monarch's holding company was delayed while Monarch tried to negotiate a related transaction, said E. Lynn Caswell, Monarch's president. Meanwhile, Laguna's president, Donald Narup, was asked to resign Friday.

A robber posing as a bank customer stole an undetermined amount of cash from a Wells Fargo branch here and was still at large Saturday night, police said. The suspect entered the bank, at 260 Ocean Ave., about 11 a.m. Saturday and demanded money from a teller. No weapon was seen, but the man reached repeatedly toward his waistband as if to suggest he was concealing a weapon, Laguna Beach Police Sgt. Mike Hall said. There were other customers in the bank at the time, but no one was injured.

Laguna Bank in Laguna Beach posted a net income of $126,965 last year, a slight increase from the previous year's $125,717, according to a recently released audited annual report. The bank's total assets grew 10.5% to $29.3 million from $26.5 million. Its total loans increased 23% to $21.8 million from $17.7 million, and total deposits rose 10% to $26.8 million from $24.2 million.

An apparently unarmed man fled on foot Friday with an undetermined amount of cash after handing a note demanding money to a teller at California First Bank, 23511 Paseo de Valencia, Laguna Hills, Sheriff's Lt. Tom Conner said. The robber was described as 5 feet, 9 inches to 6 feet tall and weighing 150 to 160 pounds. He was wearing a sports shirt, jeans and tennis shoes, Conner said.